Job Title: Attendance Officer

Location: Heswall, Wirral

School Type: 11–18 Secondary School

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Start Date: ASAP

Salary: Competitive (Local authority pay scale, depending on experience)

Role Overview

A community-focused secondary school in Heswall is seeking a diligent, proactive, and empathetic Attendance Officer to join their pastoral administrative team ASAP. In this pivotal role, you will take operational charge of monitoring, recording, and promoting high levels of student attendance and punctuality across all year groups. Working closely with Heads of Year, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and external agencies, you will implement effective intervention strategies, build positive relationships with parents and carers, and ensure every student is supported to attend school regularly.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily morning registration processing, carry out first-day absence calls, and log precise attendance codes using management software (e.g., SIMS, Arbor).

• Analyse attendance data regularly to spot trends, track persistent absence, and formulate individual support plans for at-risk pupils.

• Organize and lead attendance meetings with parents and carers, undertake home welfare visits, and establish formal attendance agreements.

• Collaborate with local authority Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) and safeguarding leads regarding legal compliance, penalty notices, and formal proceedings.

• Prepare weekly and termly attendance statistics and reports for the Senior Leadership Team and school governors.

Key Requirements

• Prior experience in an attendance, pastoral, or administrative capacity within an educational or youth work setting.

• Strong proficiency in school database systems (SIMS, Arbor, or equivalent) and Microsoft Office applications.

• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive situations with firmness, tact, and empathy.

• Good working knowledge of national school attendance regulations, safeguarding protocols, and local authority reporting frameworks.

• Full UK driving license and access to a reliable vehicle for conducting local home visits (preferred).

• Legal right to work in the UK.

School Highlights & Benefits

• Supportive senior leadership and a collaborative, dedicated pastoral support team.

• Ongoing continuous professional development (CPD) in student welfare, safeguarding, and educational administration.

• Picturesque Wirral location with strong transport connections across the region and free on-site staff parking.

• Local Government Pension Scheme enrolment, competitive local authority salary, and access to staff wellbeing programs.

Application

To apply for this Attendance Officer role at a community school in Heswall, starting ASAP, please submit your updated CV as soon as possible.